Objective: To understand the species diversity of ectoparasites on Niviventer confucianus in the surrounding areas of Erhai Lake.
Methods: Small mammals were randomly captured in 12 investigated sites surrounding Erhai Lake with baited mouse cages. The cage-traps were examined and re-baited each morning. Trapped small mammals were brought to the laboratory for identification according to color, body length, ear length, hind foot length. All ectoparasites on the surface of the hosts were collected and identified. The constituent ratio (C), prevalence (P) and average ectoparasite abundance (A) were used to evaluate the prevalence and density of ectoparasites. Non-parametric Mann-Whitney U-test was used to test differences in the abundance and richness of ectoparasites between female and male hosts. Spearman correlation analysis was used to analyze the relationship between ectoparasites and the body parameters of hosts.
Results: Eighty-nine individuals of N. confucianus were captured, of which 79% were found infested with 51 species of ectoparasites, including 31 species of chigger mites, 13 species of mesostigmatid (gamasid) mites, 4 species of fleas and 3 species of sucking lice. Walchia ewingi Fuller (66.2%), Laelaps turkestanicus Lange (38.5%), Paradoxopsyllus custodis Jordan (42.9%) and Hoplopleura pacifica (80.1%) were the most predominant species of chigger mites, gamasid mites, fleas, and sucking lice, respectively. Non-parametric Mann-Whitney U-test showed that there was no significant difference between male and female hosts on the species richness and abundance of total ectoparasites, chigger mites, sucking lice, fleas or gamasid mites. Spearman correlation analysis showed that the abundance and species of total ectoparasites, chigger mites, sucking lice, fleas or gamasid mites were not correlated with the body weight of hosts.
Conclusion: There is a high speices diversity of ectoparasites on N. confucianus. Sucking lice, fleas, chiggers and gamasid mites are the main ectoparasites.